Safety razor



Nov. 9, 1943. R. w. SAMPSON 2,333,7 3

SAFETY RAZOR Filed June 15, 1942- INV EN TOR. R W. JAMPSM- ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 9, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAFETY RAZOR Robert William Sampson, New York, N. Y. Application June 15, 1942, Serial No. 447,129

- ent method of holding the razor handle at an 11 Claims.

My invention relates to razors, and more specifically to a safety razor of a compact, unitary structure that combines the modern safety features with the virtues of the old fashioned hollow ground hand razor. Those experienced with the old fashioned straight edge razor find that the conventional type of safety razor will not permit them to shave with a shearing action which is very desirable when shaving a stiff heavy beard. They also find that the guards of the conventional safety razor tend to removethesoap or shaving cream from the beard before the cutting edge of the blade reaches the beard. These objections, and many others, may be overcome by the structure Ipresent in this application.

An object of the invention is to provide a resilient guard means for the cuttingi'edges of the safety razor blade which will function to permit a close shave, if desired, as well as a guard that will not scrape the soap away from the beard.

Another object is to provide a safety razor that may be held in the hand similar to the use of the old fashioned straight edge razor, thus permitting the user to shave with a shearing action.

An advantage of this razor is that it may be made in an extremelycompact, inexpensive form that may be folded and conveniently carried in the pocket of a vest without apparent bulk.

Another advantage of this invention is that the structure does not consist of separate parts that may be removed and misplaced.

Other objects and advantages will be fully explained in the following description and the invention will be more particularly pointed out in the claims. I

Reference is had to theaccompanying drawing which forms a part of this application:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the safety razor, showing the same in folded position. I

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the razor, showing the operative position of the handle in dotted outline.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the razor blade, showing a suggested form of male and female portions of the blade for securing the'same to the body of the razor.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the safety razor, showing the'blade keeper positioned for removing and replacing the blade; and showing the blade partially broken away to illustrate the position of the I blade guards relative to the body of the razor.

Fig. 5 is aside elevation of the razor, showing the blade and the blade guard removed, and the blade keeper in open position. A portion of the razor body is broken away to illustrate the resilithe T shaped member angle to the body.v

Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view of one of the blade guards.

Fig. 7 is an end view of on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged end view of the razor, showing the same in its compact folded form.

Fig. 9 is a similar view, showing a sectional view taken on the line 9 -9 of Fig. 2.

Similar characters of reference are used to indicate the sam parts throughout the several views.

The razor cons'wts of a body member which is the body of the razor,

formed in an elongated rectangular manner having a top surface I h which is adapted to support a razor blade-2. A

blade keeper 3 is pivotally disposed on one end of the razor body and adapted to swing over and press the blade 2 against the surface I of'the body.

The longitudinal edges of the body I are ex tended and bent downwardly at right angles thereto to form side walls 4. These two walls 4 serve as guides or abutments for the razor blade guards 5 which consist of coil springs which are carried on the razor body and positioned slightly in advance of the cutting edge of the blade 2. The springs 5 are carried at a sufllcient tension on the razor body to permit a slight resiliency, thus permitting the user to secure a close shave by exerting a little extra pressure. This feature overcomes one of the objections to the conven tional type of safety razor, especially among those with a heavy stiff beard.

The blade keeper 3 is formed in cup-shape and is elongated so that one end is pivotally anchored to one end of the body of the razor by means of a pivotal pin 6. The other end of the keeper 3 is provided with a pivotal T shaped member 1 which is pivoted at its base to the member 3 by means of a pivotal pin 9. The upper portion of I is adapted to swing and pass over a pair of fingers 8 which are elongations of the surface I and disposed thereon at the end oppositethe pivotal connection 6. When the keeper 3 is swingingly moved to position for holding the blade 2 (shown in Figs. 1 and 2), it is in inverted position. The T shaped member 1 is then moved into frictional engagement with the fingers, as shown in Fig. 2, for wedging and securing the keeper in position for holding the blade 2 in operative position. Ono-.end of a leaf spring I0 is securedwithin the cup-shaped keeper 3 and positioned so that its free end will resiliently bear against the pivotal portion of the T shaped member and hold the member against free movement. The resiliency of the spring l eliminates free swing of the member I which would hinder ease of fastening the keeper 3 over the blade 2. V

Each end of the side walls 4 of the body of the razor is extended and bent at right angles thereto and formed into hooks H for anchoring the coil spring guards 5. These spring anchoring means are so positioned as to align the coil springs 5 in position relative to the blade 2 that they may serve as guards for the cuttingvedgesof the blade. The ends of the springs 5 are telescopically disposed over threaded lugs l2 which are anchored in the hooks I l of the razor body. The

exposed end of each lug I2 is provided with an which is adapted to normally annular groove l3 rest in its respective hook H of the body of the razor. This form of anchorage of the blade guards 5 insures the desired alignment of. the same relative to the cutting edge of the blade 2. When the spring guards 5 are positioned in the razor, they are stretched to sufficient tension to permit only slight resiliency when the user exerts pressure on the razor during shaving. That portion of the spring that passes over the lug I2 is adjacent the corners of the blade 2 and the rigidity of the lug overcomes all resiliency of the spring at that point, thus providing a rigid guard for the blade corners and protecting the user from nicking his face. This is one of' the hazards of the conventional type of safety razors.

assana and between the walls, may be out at an angle so that the cutsurface may have frictional engagementwiththe innersurface of the portion of the razor body. as shown in the portion broken away in Fig. 5. Resilient means may be provided for holding the handle l8 at the desired angle to the body of the razor, as well as for holding the handle in its folded position. This means consists of a leaf spring 2| which is carried on the handle la so-that its free end will rest against and have frictional tension witirthe under surface-of the portion I of the razor body.

The coil spring blade guards 5 are preferably constructed of relatively small spring wire which will pass through the beard in a manner so as to remove a minimum of the soap-and-oifer a minimum of interference with the cutting edge of the It is obvious that various designs of double edged blades may be used in this new type of razor. A suggested form of blade'2 is shown in Fig. 3 and its method of anchorage on the surface I is shown in Fig. 4. In this instance, the blade 2 may be made with an indentation or slot ll in one end and an extension or projection I! on the other end. The indentation H and the extension- I5 are disposed in the longitudinal center of the blade 2 so that they will cooperate with the ele-- ments I1 and I6 of the surface I respectively.

The extension l5 of the blade under a bridge type of projection it which is rigidly disposed on the surface I adjacentthe hinged portion of the keeper 3. The 2 will then pass over and be held by the projection I! which is also made rigid with the surface I' and disposed on the bridge type member It. It will be noted that the slot l4 and projection l5 are identical in shape and size and, in the construction as shown in Fig. 3, are located diametrically in the median line of the blade.

anchorage is very It simple and inexpensive.

serves to cooperate with the keeper 3 in holding v the blade 2 in the desired relation with the spring guards 5.

The handle flat piece of material ried by the body of the razor so folded into the confines of the body structure or it may be moved to and be held in the desired angle for a shearing action in shaving. One end for the razor maybe an elongated l8 which is operatively car- 2 is adapted to pass slot N of the blade end thereof, opposite the This form of blade 2 and its that it may be of the handle I8 is anchored to ,the razor body by means of a pin l9 which passes through the two walls 4 and is disposed in the approximate longitudinal center of the razor body. The handle member [8 is provided withan elongated slot-20 for the pin [9. This slot 20 permits the handle l8 to be either folded into the razor body, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or be moved to shaving position,

as shown in Fig. 5 and in dotted outline in Fig. 2.

The end of the handle, extending into the body razor, I'can maintain the desired blade reaching the beard. When the springs l are positioned in the'body of the razor, they ar'e stretched a sufljicient degree to permitthe coils to act as a;receiver and retainer of an amount of soap that will assist the coils to carry con:- siderablemoisture. In actual'use of this razor. I have found that it is possiblegat all'times to have a suflicier'rt amount of water in the guards to insure a more perfect and faster shave than H couldbe obtained by'the use of a safety razor having the conventional blade guard. When using the-conventional razor,'I must insert it into guards 5 with amedium that'will automatically align itself with the longitudinal center of the spring, insures installation of the spring in'alignment with the cutting edzeof .theblade 2. The

tension of the springs-has well asits relation with the walls 4. and the' blade 2, insures'perfect function of the same withoutdanger of throwing out I and injuring the user. This flexible safety means permits the use or a safety razor for a clean close shave that heretofore could be obtained only by the old fashionedstraight edge razor.

What I claim is:

" 1. A safety razor consisting of .a body member comprising atop and side walls and adapted to operatively support a razor blade thereon, coil springs carried by said body and guided'by the side walls thereof 'forguarding the-cutting edges of said blade, saidsprings being under tension to permit-resiliency in the use of said razor for close shaving, and means coacting with said body and its side walls for alignment-of said springs relative to said blade.

2. A safety razor consisting of abody'member comprising a topand side walls andadapted to rigidly support a razor'bladethereon, blade, guards disposed on said'body member and guided by the side walls of said body member, said guards being adapted to serve as moisture holders, and a folding handle carried by said body member and adapted to bepositioned at a predetermined angle" tosaid member for'securing a shearing action I,

with said blade.

3. A safety razor c0nsistingof a body member comprising a top and side walls and adapted to operatively support a blade thereon, resilient" with the f blade guards disposed on said body member and guided by means of the side walls or said body member, and said guards being adapted to serve as containers for moisture.

4. In a safety razor, a blade supporting body member provided with a bridge member adjacent one end and a lug adjacent its opposite end, said bridge and lug adapted to sustain a blade provided with a slot at the end and a projection at its opposite end.

5. In a safety razor, a blade supporting body member comprising a top portion and a side wall; a blade guard comprising a coiled spring; and means for attaching said spring guard under tension to the body in proximity to said side wall.

6. In a safety razor, a blade supporting body member comprising a top portion and side walls; blade guards comprising coiled springs; and means for attaching said springs under tension at each side of the body member in proximity to said side walls. 7

7. In a safety razor. a blade supporting body member; a blade guard comprising a coil spring; means for attaching the blade guard to the body member comprising hooks on the body member and threaded lugs eng gin the coils oi the spring guard, said lugs adapted to engage the hook member on the body to tension the spring guard in operative position.

8. In a safety razor, a blade supporting body member, said body member comprising a top wall and side walls forming a recess below the top wall, a handle pivoted within said side walls an adapted to be folded into said recess.

9. In a safety razor, a blade supporting body member, said body member comprising a top wall and side walls forming a recess beneath said top wall; a handle pivoted within said side walls and adapted to be folded into said recess; and resilient means for securing the handle at an angle to said body member.

, 10. A razor blade provided with a slot at one end and a Projection at the opposite end, said slot and projection being identical in shape and size 11. A razor blade provided with a slot at one end and a projection at the opposite end, said slot and projection being identical in shape and size and located diametrically in the median line or the blade.

7 ROBERT WILLIAM SAMPSON. 

